Steam generation-feed-water heating, and heating of liquids generally.



,W. A..BONB, J. W. WILSON & C. D. MoGOURT. STEAM GENERATION, EEED WATER HEATING, AND HEATING 0E LIQUIDE GENEEALLY.

APPLIGATION FILED DEG. 3, 1910. 1,015,261 Patented Jan. 16, 1912..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W/ vvvgssfs M. ao. Mf f, Y

W. A. BONE, J. W. WILSON 6L C. D. MGCOURT.

1 STEAM GENERATION, FEED WATER HEATING, AND HEATING OP LIQUIDS GENERALLY.

` APPLICATION FILED DBO. a, 1910.

1,015,261.` i Patented Jan'.16,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l i i i i lf N g.

W. 1.30m, J. W. WILSON L G. D. MOGQURT. STEAM GENERATION, FEED WATER HEATING, AND HEATING OF LIQUIDS GENERALLY.

' APPLICATION FILED DECl 3, 1910. 1,015,261. f Patented Jan. 16,1912.

3 SHEETS-S-HEBT 3.

UNITED sTATEs .PATENT ernten.

WILLIAM ARTHUR BONE AND J' AMES WILLIAM WILSON, Olli LEEDS, AND CYRIL DOUGLAS MCCOURT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND. A

STEAM GENERATION, FEED-WATER HEATING, AND HEATING 0F LIQUIDS GENERALLY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16,1912.

Application filed December 3, 1910. seiai No. 595,438.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be itknown that we, WVILLIAM ARTHUR BONE, of the University, Leeds, in the county of York, professor of applied chemistry, J .urns VILLIAM VILsoN, of Carlton Works, Armley, Leeds, in the said county, gas-stove manufacturer, and CYRIL DOUGLAS MoCoUn'r, of 13 Malwood road, Balham Hill, London, S. W., England, chemist, subjects of the King of Great Britain and 1reland, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Steam Generation, Feed-VVater Heating, and the Heat ing of Liquids Generally, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in steam generation, feed water heating and the heating of liquids generally by the heat resulting from gaseous combustion, our principal objects being to utilize for the purpose in view, as large a proportion as possible of the available heat produced, and at the same time to transmit a large proportion of heat per unit area of heating surface.

' lin describing our invention in detail reference is made to the accompanying sheets of drawings, similar letters indicating simi- 4lar parts, in Which- Figure l represents a sectional elevation of a steam generator constructed according to our invention. Fig. l"L represents a det-ail hereinafter referred to. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 repre sents'a det-ail of a feed device. Figs. 4 and 5 represent sectional elevation and end view respectively of another form of generator, Fig. 5 being a section plane of Fig. 4, the. section line of Fig. t being shown at. a-b in Fig. 5. Figs. 6 and 7 represent de.- tails of a tube charging device hereinafter referred to. Figs. 8 and 9 represent sectional elevation and front view respectively of an arrangement for firing a ten tube boiler.

In carrying out our invention we may employ coal gas, coke oven gas, producer gas, blast furnace gas, aerated petrol, natf ural gas, or other combustible gas or vapor or mixture thereof amenable to our lnethod of procedure, such gas or vapor or mixture thereof being hereinafter designated the combustible gas. lAccording to this inventiona mixture of such combustible gas and of air or other available supporter of combustion may be made preferably in substantially the proportions theoretically required .for complete combustion or with some excess of air thereover, although of course the proportions ofthe constituent gaseous materials may vary considerably and still secure an explosive mixture, thatis, one capable 'of explosive combustion or inflammation possibly under conditions of increased pressure and temperature. Such mixtures may be passed into a bed or beds of refractory granular material packed or charged in a tube or tubes, traversing the body of liquid to be heated and at a pressure suflicient to overcome the resistance to gaseous flow exercised by the granules and at such a speed that back ignition of the mixture is pre vented. In order to prevent'clogging of the granular beds the gases employed should be substantially free from dust and to this end may be washed or otherwise cleaned.

`In cases where a gas of low heating power is water washed when hot, as for example producer gas, the steam cont-ent must not be such as will interfere with its combustion in the granular bed.

W'e will first describe our invention as applied to a small steam generator comprising a cylindrical shell traversed by a single tube packed with granular material, shown in Figs. l and 2. A is the boiler shell. B is the tube closed at one end by a fire clay or other suitable plug C provided with an aperture D for the introduction of the gaseous mixture, the head C of plug C by preference is enlarged and projects somewhat from the tube Band a tight joint may be made at C2 by winding the plug with asbestos stringplastered with white lead or -the like prior to insertion Vin the tube, or a groove may be made around the plug for the reception of asbestos or like packing.` The said tube B is packed With suitable fragments of refractory granular material G, such for instance as re brick crushed to such a size as 'will pass a sieve of one mesh to the linear inch', and having the finer material such as will pass a sieve of two meshes to thelinear inch taken out. The material G is retained at thel exit end of the tube B by means of a stout gauze or the like D. At the inflow end of a layer of pieces of a larger size may be used in order to prevent cho-king of the gas inflow tube. T he diameter of the aperture D of plug C must not .with its necessary air.

be so great as to allow the 'gaseous mixture tofire back and burn therein, and we have found a diameter of g of an inch to be suitable for this object when admitting a gaseous mixture of coal gas and air at the rate of about 100 cubic feet of coal gas per hour KThe gaseous mixture .is conveyed to the central aperture D by means of a pipe E, the joint being rendered air tight in any usual or convenient manner. Air and combustible' gas both under pressure are supplied to pi-pe E from a Y piece or like E, the two supplies being controlled by suitable valves. Each pipe is preferably furnished with a non-return valve. The gas and air will mingle on meeting in the Y piece and Will mix thoroughly in passing down pipe E and aperture D providedthat the combined length of run is not too short. IVe have found a length of run of a foot to be sufficient. In general, the

method of starting up this generator will bel to first turn on one constituent of the gaseous mixture, apply a light to the exit end of tube B and then slowly turn on the other constituent until the resulting flame travels back through the bed ofy granules and combustiony proceeds near the entrance end thereof, thus raising the granules in the zone of combustion to a state'of incandescence. The gas and air supplies are best adjusted so that a slight excess of oxygen is found in the products, in order to secure complete combustion of the combustible gas. If the tube B is of too great diameter, the heat vdeveloped at the hottest point may not pass away with sufficient rapidity, with the result that the granular material may be sofi tened. When using coal gas We have found that with an internal diameter of 3 inches,

fire-clay packing may be employed without material softening, while with an internal diameter of 4 inches granules of fire-clay situated lin the hottest zone are liable to become softened. In this case the core of granular material at t-he hottest region should consist or carborundum or other very highly refractory material. Where however the combustible gas is oflow caloriic intensity, as for example blast furnace gas, this precaution is not necessary. -In order to dis tribute the flow of heat more evenly along the tube, it is desirable in some casesto line the tube withl refractory material for a portion of its length near the hottest point to secure the desired distributionL` Fig. la showsa tube having asleeve or bushing of 4fire-clay inserted in the tube nearthe end at should be used at this point. The most suitable length of tube or tubes B to employ will depend, on the diameter thereof, on the caloriic intensity of the gas employed, on

vthe rate of consumption of the gas, and on the temperature at Which it is desired that the products of combustion should leave the generator. Andin general it will be found that this invention lends itself to the construction of boilers provided with tubes shorter than those usually employed. For example, we have found that when burning coal gas, or coke oven gas at the rate of 100 cubic feet per hour per tube, the tube or tubes may conveniently be 3 feet long and 3 inches internal diameter. The gas and air under pressure may be supplied by any suitable blower or compressor so long as the pressure is such as will supply the tube or tubes with gaseous mixture at such a speed as to prevent back firing through the aperture l) of the plug C. The pressure will vary under different conditions and with 'different gaseous mixtures and should be kept as uniform as possible. Vith coal gas we have Worked satisfactorily with a gaseous mixture at pressures of from l0 to 30 inches water gage.

In order to give some idea ofthe high heat transfer obtainable by this invention We give the following instance, which relates toa horizontal boiler tube 3 feet long (Fig. l.) and of 3 inches internal diameter` a re-clay plug projecting 4 inches into one end thereof and the remainder of the tube being packed with crushed fire brick of such a size as will pass a sieve of one mesh to the linear inch but will not pass a sieve of two meshes to the linear inch. We have found that When-burning in thisppacked tube a. gaseous mixture of coal gas and air such that only a trace of oxygen Was found in gas being about 560 B. Th. U. per c. ft.),

the products of combustion when t-he gas consumed was at the rate of 100 c. ft. per hour (the net calorifc-value of the coal gas `being about 560 B. Th. U. per c. ft.), thevproducts of combustion issue from the end of the tube at the following temperatures dependent on the temperature of the surrounding water Temperature Temperatura of water. Steam pressure. of product. 100o C. 0 lbs. El 219 C. 1480.. 50 lbS.El .\251 C. 170o C. 100 lbS.'l:| l 266 C. l

firstmentioned case where the water wa oiling at 10.0o C, about 90% of the tot I "eat available fromV the gas was transmitted'- tol the water.

Whenl this invention is employedjfor the ,heating of liquids other than water, regard must be had to the high heat transfer produced, and the nature of the liquid heated must not be such as to interfere with the free flow of heat from the tube surface tothe liquid (as for example by depositing a scale or crust on the tubes) norsuch as to corrode the tubes.

In some cases we have found a difficultyI in starting owing to the liability of the flame in running back through the granular bed to shoot through the aperture in the fire clay plug. We have found the device' chambers H and F should be as small as isl`-r practicable and where a single tube is dealt with the chamber H may be discarded the pipe H3 in such case being made continuous with H2. ln starting firing, air alone is first admitted into chamber F and passes through the plug C and tube B. Combustible gas is then admitted to chamber H and passes thence to tube B, a flame being applied to the exit end of said tube, the air or combustible gas as the case may be being increased until the flame strikes back and combustion proceeds in the bed of granules., After a few minutes when the granules nearl the 'plug C will have become incandescent the supply of combustible gasto chamber H is shut off and combustible gas turned on to mix with `the air which is being 'supplied to the chamber F.`

Where the gas employed is of low heating power, as for instance, blastfurnace gas, and

petrol vapor or other gas or vapor ame the flame produced at the exit` end of the tube or tubes cannot be made to strike back through the granular bed, Lthe 'generator may be first started up on coal gas, aerated nable to the method last described, andl such gas or vaporsubsequently turned off and the Vpoorer gas turned on to mix with the air supplied lto chamber F. The. diyections herei before given for the construction of a steam generator'carrying va single tube will apply equally to a generator of many tubes, but where'oneY chamber feeds more than one tube with gaseous mixture the tendency to re back is increased and suitable means of supplying a gaseous mixture to the tubes to overcome this tendency should be employed.

In Figs. 4 and 5, representingsectional elevation and end view of a boiler constructed in accordance with our invention, We have shown a ten tube boiler adapted to be fired by coal or coke oven gases. The

In this device B is theV tubes lB at their entrance end are inclosed by a casing or casings such as H and F arranged With their pipes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference 'to Fig. 3, and these casings which are suitably attached to the boiler are divided into three, by means of partitioned walls J, J, (Fig. 5) and each casing will have its own supply pipes. It will be seen in Fig. 5 that the tubes are in groups, two of four and one of two, and we prefer that the gaseous mixture pipes F2 should be arranged in the centers of, the groups to insure a substan tially symmetrical feed. l

Any water condensed from the products of combustion before the granular material has become heated throughout should be allowed to drain away. Where a generator is arrangedy with its tubes in groups certain advantages will accrue in that one or more groups of tubes may be used when less steam or power is required. Thus in the example given vin Figs. 4. and 45, 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10, tubes may be in use as required.

The chambers to which the gaseous mixture is admitted should be supplied with explosion doors such as O and same may be of any suitableor usual pattern, as for example a hinged door retained against its lseating by means of aspring so arranged that on any explosion taking place in the chamber the door would open.

We have found that the liability 'to back fire through the fire clay plug increases with..

the volume of gaseous mixture inclosed in the feeding chamber, and hence it is desirable that the dimensions of the Afeeding' chamber should be kept as small as lpossible consistently With the proper distribution of the gaseous mixture to the tubes'.- This is particularly the case when dealin with high grade gases having a relativef .high

rate of' ignition such as coal gas, and is less so in the casev of low grade gases such las blast furnace gas. We have lsucceeded (usingcoal gas) in tiring the ten tubes of the steam generator shown in Figs. 4f and 5 from a single feeding chamberfshown in Figs. 8 and 9 by restricting the dimension K in Fig. 8 to three quarters of an inch, the boiler tubes projectingl from vthree eighths `of an inch to one half inch beyond'y the end plate of the boiler into the feeding We have found that twenty. inchesy water gage is a sutlicient pressure at chamber.

which to supply the air when admitting coal gas to mix therewith after the granules have 'been initially heated by means of the stant ing device hereinbefore described. If these.

dimensions be exceeded it will probably be' foundl that a higher pressure will be required in order to prevent back firing.

` The mixture enters the chamberl F imme. diately above a perforated partition or the like P through Which the mixture streams to the tubes. In order to insure a fairly evenly distributed supply We prefer that the total areaof the perforationsin the partition is less than the area of the cross section of the supply pipe.

Instead of employing granular material as hereinbefore described fire clay balls or the like may be employed.

The Waste products of combustion may be utilized by passing or drawing same through return pipes or in any. suitable manner.

` yWith regard to the' packing of the tubes with granular refractory material, When such tubes are arranged vertically same may be evenly packed by merely dropping the granules therein, but Where the tubes are arranged horizontally as in the figures this method Will not apply. In order to pack the tube evenly We use a special tool, ,(see Figs. 6 and 7) comprising a disk L having fingers or projections L near its periphery the disk being lmounted on a convenient handle. The granular material is placed in the tube and pushed home by the disk,a rotatory or semi-rotatory motion being given thereto. This action is continued until the tube is filled. y

We have described our invention With reference to the heating of steam boilers, but it is obvious that the same arrangements may be applied to feed-Water heating and the heating of liquids generally, and We Wish it to be understood that all such applications are Within the scope of our invention.

It is also obvious that the combustion tubes may be placed in inclined or vertical positions. For instance, vreferring to Fig. 4, if theshell Were placed vertically on its right hand end With the gas feed below, the Wa-- Y ter level would assume some such position as thatrepresented by the dotted line Y-Y. Inthis case if say 95% of the heat utilized passed directly into the Waterbelov.v the Water line the remaining 5% Would be utilized for superheating in the steam space above Y-Y. It is also obvious-that the form of our apparatus is capable lof considerable variation Without affecting its principles of action.

What we claim as our invention is 1. A boiler comprising a liquid receptacle,

'a body of refractory material, means for protecting said refractory material from.

Contact with the liquid and means for directing into (contact With said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture.

2. A boiler comprising a liquid reservoir, a body of `granular refractory non-metallic material therein, meansfor protecting said refractory material from contact With the l liquid and means for ldirecting anexplosive gaseous'mixture into-said refractory material.

3. A boiler comprising a liquidreservoir,

a tube therein, refractory non-metallic materiall in said tube and means for directing against v,said refractory material an explosive gaseous maxture of combustible gas and of supporter of combustion therefor in substantially the proportions required for complete combustion. i

4. A boiler comprising a liquid reservoir, a tube extending therethrough, granular refractory material Within said tube throughout part of its length and means for passing an explosive gaseous mixture into the tube and effecting combustion thereof With- 'in said refractory meaterial.

5. A boiler comprising a liquid reservoir, la metallic tube extending therethrough, granular refractory material filling said tube throughout part of its length and means for passing into said tube an explosive gaseous lfilled With refractory material extending therethrough, a perforated refractory plug at one end of said tube and a gas nozzle extending into said plug.

S. Aboiler comprising a reservoir, a tube extending therethrough, granular refractory` non-metallic material Within saidI tube, a perforated refractory plug adjacent one end of said tube and a gas nozzle coperating with said plug.

A. boiler comprising a reservoir, a tube containing porous refractory material extending therethrough, a perforated plug at one end of said tube, a gas nozzle extending into said plug and a meshed cap at the end of said tube opposite to said plug.

l 10A boiler comprising a reservoir, a plurality of separate bodies of refractory material therein, means for protecting said refractory.material from the liquid normally contained in said reservoir and sep-- arate means for4 directing against said bodies of refractory material streams of explosive combustible gas and of supporter of combustion therefor, in proportions allowing substantially complete combustion.

1l. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a plurality of tubes extending therethrough, each containing ygranular refractory material, and separate means including a sepayliti rate gas nozzle communicating with each of said tubes for supplying an explosive gaseous mixture to certain of said tubes independently of others.

1:2. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a plurality of tubes extending intosaid reservoir, each of said tubes containing granular refractory material, and separatemeans for supplying an explosive gaseous mixture to certain of said tubes independently of l others.

13. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a plurality of tubes extending into said reservoir, each of said tubes containing refractory material comprising porous non-metallic combustion accelerating material, heads communicating with said tubes at one end thereof and connecting them together into groups and separate means for supplying an explosive gaseous mixture toeach of said groups of tubes.

14. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a

tube containing granular refractory material extending into said vreservoir and means for direct-ing into contact with said refractory material an explosive mixture of combustible gas and air to effect accelerated combustion in connection with the granular material in part of. said tube, and means to cool the combustion,` gases to temperatures approaching the temperature of the liquid'by passing thein through additional granular material.

15. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a tube extending therethrough, granular refractory non-metallic material filling said tube throughout part of its length,l a perforated refractory plug at one end of said tube, a highly refractory tapering bushing in said tube beyond said plug and means to direct an explosive gaseous mixture through said plug.

16. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a tube extending therethrough, granular re- @fractory material Within said tube throughout part of its length, a perforated refractory plug at one end'of said tube, a highly -refractory taperingr bushing in said tube' beyond said plug, highly refractory material Within said bushing and the adjacent part of said tube' and' means for directing an kpart of explosive gaseous mixture in to said plug so as to normally prevent back firing.

17. A liquid heating apparat-us comprising a reservoir, a tube in said reservoir, granular refractory material comprising porous non-metallic combustion accelerating lmaterial filling said tube throughout tube land means for' directing through said plug into contact with said refractory material at such speed as to normally prevent baclt firing `an explosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas and of supporter Ofcombustion therefor vin substantially the` proits length, a perforated plug in saidl .rial comprising non-metallic combustion accelerating material, means for protecting `said refractory material from contact with the liquid normally contained in said receptacle and means for directing into contact with said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas and of supporter of combustionv therefor in pro-- portions allowingj substantially complete combustion, t-o effect vaccelerated combustion adjacentsaid incandescent refractory material.

20. A liquid heating apparatus comprising a receptacle, a body of refractory conibustion accelerating material, means for protecting said'refractory material from contact with the liquid normally contained in said receptacle and means for directing into contact With said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas and of supporter of combustion therefor to effect accelerated combust-ion adjacent said incandescent refractory material.

21. A heat-lng apparatus comprising `a reservoir, a tube in said reservoir, porous refractory combustion accelerating material in saidtube and means for passing into said tube and directing into contact with said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas and of supporter of combustion therefor in proportions allowing substantially complete combustion, to effect accelerated combustion adjacent said incandescent refractory material andto cool the heated combustion gases by passing the saine int-o contact with additional refractory material.

Q2. A heating apparatus comprising a tube, said tube containing refractory material comprising non-metallic combustion accelerating material and means for directing into contact with said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture to effect accelerated combustion adjacent lsaid refractory material. Y

23. A heat-ing apparatus comprising. a tube,i"granula'r refractory material comprising porous non-metallic combustion accelerating material in said tube and lmeans for directing into contact with said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture of l said tube and means for feeding combustible into contact with gas and supporter .of combustion therefor and forming therefrom an explosive gaseous mixture and bringing the same into contact with said refractory material to eHect accelerated combustion of said explosivevgas.-- eous mixture.

25. A heatingapparatus comprising a tube, refractory material comprising nonmetallic combustion accelerating material in said tube, means for feeding combustible gas and supporter of combustion therefor and forming therefrom an explosive gaseous mixture and bringing the same into contact with said refractory material to effect accelerated combustion of said explo` sive gaseous mixture and means to cool the heated combustion gases by bringing them into contact with granular material.

26. A heating 'apparatus comprising a tube, refractory granular material comprising non-metallicv porous combustion accelerating material in said tube, means for .feeding combustible gas and supporter of combustion therefor and forming therefrom an explosive gaseous mixture and bringingthe same into contact with said refractory material to effect the highly accelerated combustion of said explosive gaseous mixture, means to utilize heat from said combustion by transmission thereof through the material of said tube and means to cool the heated .combustion gases by bringing them into contact with granular material.

27.*A heating apparatus comprising a tube, granular refractory material comprising non-metallic combustion accelerating material in said tube, means forrdirecting said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas and of supporter of combustion therefor in proportions allowing substantially complete combustin, to effect accelerated combustion of said mixture adjacent said refractory material and means to utilize heat from saidvcombustion by transmission thereof through the material of `said tube and to simultaneously cool said refractorymaterial in said tube. i

v28. A heating apparatusl comprising a tube of heat-conducting material, granular refractory material of between about onehalf and one inch mesh in said tube and comprising porous non-metallic combustion accelerating material, means for directing into contact with said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas and of supporter of combustion therefor in proportions allowino' substantially complete combustion, to eect accelerated combustion of said mixture adjacent said refractory material, and means to utilize heat from said combustion by transmission thereof through the material of said tube and to simultaneously cool said refractory material in said tube.

29. A heating apparatus comprising a tube, refractory material comprising nonmetallic combustion accelerating material in said tube, means for feeding combustible 'gas and supporter of combustion therefor and forming 'therefrom an explosive eous mixture and bringing` the same into contact with said refractory material to effect accelerated combustion of said explosive gaseous mixture, means to utilize heat from said combustion by transmission thereof through the material of said tube and means to cool the heated combustion gases by bringing them into contact with refractory material.

30. A heating apparatus comprising a tube of heat-conducting material, refractory material comprising non-metallic combustion accelerating material in said tube, means for feeding combustible gas and supporter of combustion therefor and forming therefrom an explosive gaseous mixture and bringing the same into contact with said refractory materialv to effect accelerated combustion of said explosive gaseous mixture and means to utilize heat from said combustion by transmission thereof through the material of said tube and to simultaneously cool said refractory material in said tube.

31. A heating apparatus comprising a tube of heat-conducting material, said tube containing refractory material comprising non-met-allic combustion accelerating material, means for directing into contact with said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture to effect accelerated combustion thereof adjacent said refractory material and means to utilize heat from said combust-ion by transmission thereof through the material'of said tube and to simultaneously cool said refractory material in said tube.

32. A heating apparatus comprising a reservoir, a tube in said reservoir, granular refractory material comprising porous nonmetallic combustionaccelerating material in said l'tube and means for directing into contact with said refractory material an explosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas and of supporter of combustion therefor in proportions allowing substantially complete combustion, to effect accelerated combustion adjacent said refractory material.

33. A heating apparatus comprising a reservoir, a tube of heat-conducting material llO material and means for directing into'contact with said refractory material an exi plosive gaseous mixture of combustible gas 4and of supporter of combustion therefor in I proportions allowing substantially complete combustion, to eii'ect ,accelerated combustion adjacent said refractory material.

34. A heating apparatus comprising a reservoir, a metallic tubey in said reservoir, said tube containing refractory granular material and means for directing into contact with said refractory material an exlosive gaseousI- mixture of combustible gas and of supporter'of combustiontherefor in substantially the proportions required for complete combustion to` effect accelerated combustion adjacent said vrefractory material.

35. A heating apparatus comprising a metallic tube, said tube containing refractory material comprising non-metallic combustion accelera-ting material, means for direeting an explosive gaseous mixture so as to prevent backiiring into*v contact Awith said refractory material to effect accelerated combustion of said gaseous mixture adjacent said refractory material and to utilize heat from said combustion by transmission thereof through the material of saidtube.

,36. A heating apparatus comprising a.

metallic tube, said tube containing refratory material comprlsing non-metallic combustlon accelerating materlalf means for feeding combustible gas and supporter of' combustion therefor and 'forming therefrom an explosive gaseous mixture and bringing the same into contact with said refractory material to effectaccelerated combustion of said explosive gaseous mixture and to utilize heat from said combustion bytransm'ission thereof through the materialvv of said tube.

37.- A heating apparatus comprising a tube of heat-conducting material, granular nonmetallic refractory material in said tube,

meansfor directing gaseous heating material into 'contact withsaid granular material'to heat the same and means to utilize said heat by transmission thereof through the material of said tube and to simultaneously Vcool said ranular material in said tube I l reservoir, a tube of heatconducting materiaI eating apparatus Acomprising a in said reservoir, saidy tube being filled throughout` partfofits length with lrefractory granular material of between about onehalf and'one inchmesh, and means for supplying gaseous heating material thereto.

39. A boiler comprising a liquid reservoir, a tube extending therethrough, granular reout part of its length and means for feeding vcombustible gas and supporter of combustion therefor and forming therefrom anexsame into contact with said refractory material to effectaccelerated combustion of said yexplosive gaseous mixture, p 40. A boiler compri fng a liquidreservoir,

a tube extending therethrough, granular recombustion accelerating material within said tube throughout part of its length fand vmeans forfeeding combustiblagas and supporter of combustion therefor and forming ,therefrom an explosive'gaseous'mixture and bringing the same so as to normallyprevent back firing into contact with saidrefractory material .to effect accelerated combustion of said explosive gaseous mixture.

41. A boiler comprising a liquid reservoir, a tube extending therethrough, refractory material comprising porous. non-metallic combustion accelerating 'material within said tube throughout part of its length and means for feeding combustible gasand supporter \of combustion therefor and forming therefrom, an explosive gaseous mixture and bringing the'same into contact with said'refractory material to effect accelerated combustio-n ofsaid explosive gaseous mixture.

42. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a plurality of tubes extending therethrough and ing material, means to, supply an explosive gaseous mixture to said tubes and additional gas supplying means including a separate gas nozzle communicating with each of said tubes. c

, 43. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a plurality of tubes extendinginto said reservoir, each of said tubes containing refractory communicatingwith said tubes -`at one end thereof, and connecting them together into groups, separate means for supplymg an exploslve gaseous mixturel to each of said supplying gas to each,l of said tubes.

. 44. A boiler comprising a reservoir, a plurality of tubes extending therethrough, each containing refractory combustion accelerat-` fractory material comprising non-metallic containing refractory combustion accelerat' combustion accelerating' material, heads groups of tubes and additional means for ingfmaterial and means including a separate fractorymaterial within said tube throughplosive gaseous mixtureand bringingthe 

